To:L. D. TROTSKY

Published:First published in 1942 inLenin Miscellany XXXIV.

      Printed from the original.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,1975,

      Moscow,Volume 44,

      pages299b-300a.Translated:Clemens DuttTranscription\Markup:R. CymbalaPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive.You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work, as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

ComradeTrotsky,

Iwas somewhat taken aback by Zinoviev’s demand
yesterday for more regiments. Is it true about the
Estonians?

Nevertheless,I passed it on to Sklyansky, and an order
has been given to have them sent from Tula (again from
Tula!).

Itis not safe, however, to take any more from the
reserves of the Southern Front. Would it not be better to
search elsewhere?

Itisdevilishlyimportant for us to finish with Yudenich
(precisely to finish—to deal afinalblow). If the offensive
has begun, is it not possible to mobilise another 20,000
Petrograd workers and exert really mass pressure on
Yudenich?

Ifthere are 5–10 thousand good attacking troops (and
you do have them), then surely a city like Petrograd can
give about30thousand tofollow up,
as an aidtothem.
Rykov says that a great deal of property has been “found”
in Petrograd; there is bread, and meat is on the way.

Itis necessary to finish with Yudenichsoon; then we
shall turneverythingagainst Denikin.

Inmy opinion it is dangerous to take units from theSouthern Front now: they have started an offensive there,
and it must be extended.

Greetings,Lenin

P.S.I have just learned from Sklyansky that 2 regiments 
 intended for
Petrograd have reached Kotlas. We shall 
 expedite their
movement.[1]

Newinformation: this is not true.

[1]Thisparagraph is crossed out in the manuscript.—Ed.